Irrigating planter and cultivator.



J. D. GOPLEN.

IRRIGATING PLANTER AND OULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28v 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented. Mar. 22, 1910.

J. D. COPLEN.

IRRIGATING PLANTER AND CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.28.1909.

9536GT? Patented Mar.22,1910.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

J. D. GOPLEN.

IRRIGATING PLANTER AND GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28. 1909.

95%6? Patented Mar.22,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

5 96i n M W J'OHN'D. COPLEN, 0F GLOBE, ARIZONA. TERRITORY.

IRRIGATING PLANTER AND CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 22, 191i).

Application filed October 28, 1909. Serial No. 526,107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. OOPLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Globe, in the county of Gila and Territory of Arizona haveinvented a new and useful Irri ating llanter and Cultivator, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has relation to irrigators, seed planters, andcultivators and is especially adapted to be used upon soils requiringirrigation and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement ofits parts as hereinafter shown and described.

In arid re ions it is the practice to spread water over t e surface ofthe soil before the seed is planted, but this method is objectionablefor the reason that it is attended with effects liable to retard thesprouting of the seed and subsequent growth of the plants.- In hotclimates the rays of the sun cause more or less scalding while in coldarid sections, particularly where water is taken from mountain streams,the chill is, very detrimental to vegetable growth and in all cases thesubmerging of the land always results in hardening or baking of thesurface of the soil. Under this practice irrigation is seldom resortedto until after the plants have grown to considerable height above theground.

One of the objects of the present inventio is to provide a planter whichwill deposit water beneath the surface of the soil at the time that theseed is planted and thus the moisture is retained in the soil and thesurface is not flooded and subsequently baked as pointed out, and thewater is protected to a great extent against evaporation. The moisturethus conserved moistens the sprouting seed.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide animplementwhich may be used as a combined irrigator and cultivator andthus water may be applied to the sub-soil all the time that the crop iscultivated. The cultivating elements of the implement are notlikely tobe used while planting but will be useful in nearly all cases whileirrigating growing plants.

With these and other objects in view the machine includes a wheelmounted frame upon which is supported one or more water tanks. A seedhopper'is also mounted upon .the frame and may be provided with anysuitable form of seed dropping mechanism which is operatively connectedwith one of the supportin wheels of the frame. Shafts are pivota lymounted at the rear portion of the said frame and means is provided forpartially rotating the said shafts. Standards may be' carried by thesaid shafts upon which are cultivator teeth. Furrow openers are locatedat the ends of the shafts and seed and water-conveying pipes extend fromthe hopper and the tanks, respectively, to the said furrow openers.Means is provided for regulating the flow of water and also interruptingthe same.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of themachine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the wheel-mounted frame with thetanks and feed hopper removed. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of themachine. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the machine cut on thedotted "line shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of oneof the furrow openers with parts in section. Fig. 6 is a top plan viewof one'of the furrow openers. Fig. 7 is a front elevation ofthe upperportion of one of the furrow openers. Fig. 8 is an elevation of a plateusedas a support for the furrow openers.

The machine includes a frame or bed 1 which is mounted at its forwardend upon an axle 2 supported upon wheels 3 and mounted at its rearportion upon traction wheels 4. An operators seat 5 is mounted upon theforward portion of the frame 1 and the intermediate portion of the saidframe 1 is arched transversely as best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 ofthe drawings. Tanks 6 are located upon the forward portions of the frame1 and are held against lateral movement'by means of stakes 7 supportedat their lower ends by any suitable means upon the said frame 1.- Thetanks .6 are provided with inlets. 8. A seed-box 9 is mounted upontherear portion of the frame 1 and 1s rovided with a rotatable shaft'10which 1s adapted to operate any referred form of seed dropping mechanism(not shown) located in the said boxor hopper 9.- A sprocket wheel 11 isfixed to the end of the shaft 10 and a sprocket wheel 12 is fixed to theside of one of the traction wheels 4. A sprocket chain 13 asses 'aroundthe wheels 11 and 12 and is a apted to transmit rotary movement from thewheel 12 to the wheel 11 and shaft 10. Any suitableclutch mechanismindicated at 14 in Fig. 1 may be provided. for causing the wheel 12 torotate in unison with the wheel 4 or for permitting the said wheel 12 toremain at rest while the wheel 4 rotates. The said clutch mechanism isoperativel connected with a lever mechanism 15 w ich is mounted upon oneof the tanks 6. Brackets 16 depend from the rear end of the frame 1 andshafts 17 are journaled for rotation at the lower portions of the saidbrackets 16. The sprocket wheels 18 are fixed to the shafts 17 andsprocket chains 19 pass around the rear portions of the said wheels 18.Rods 20 connect the opposite ends of the chain 19 with an operatinglever 21 at oposite sides of the fulcrum ever. The lever 21 is fulcrumedto the forward portion of the frame 1 and its power end is within reachof one occup in the seat 5. Standards 22 are fixed to teintermediateportions of the shafts 17 and cultivator teeth 23 are fixed to the lowerrear the plate 24 and pipes 34 ends of the said standards '22.

Plates 24 are provided with sleeves 25 and at their lower portions withseries of perforations 26. The sleeves 25 are adapted to snugly receivethe end portions of the shafts 17 and set screws 27 or other securinmeans may be provided for fixing the sai sleeves with relation to theshafts.

Furrow openers 28 are provided at their upper rear sides with laterallydisposed lugs 29 which are adapted to be adjustably secured upon thelower portions of the plate 24 by means of bolts 30 which asstransversely through the said lugs an the lower portions of the saidplate. The lower portions of the furrow openers 28 are ointed as at 31and are forwardly dispose The said' furrowopeners at their rear portionsare provided with verticall disposed erforations or passages 32. heperforations 32 form passages or channels for the water and seed as willbe hereinafter described. Sleeves 33 are fixed to the upper ]portions ofass t rough the said sleeves and at their ower ends enter the upperportions of the passafiges 32 throug the furrow openers 28. ittings 35are located at the upper ends of the pipes 34.

Pi branches 36 connect with the sides of the ttings 35 and also connectwith water point of sand with the u per ends ofthe fittin 35 and attheir upper ends with the out st of the hopper 9. The pipes 37 a arevalves 41 which are normally eld in closed position by means of springs42. Cables 43 are attached at their rear ends to the free ends of thestems of the valves 41 and pass over pulleys 44 journaled for rotationat the rear ends of the tanks 6 and connect at their forward ends tohandle levers 45 fulcrumed in the vicinity of the operatin seat 5.

By reason of such an assem lage of parts it will be seen that anoperator may swing the lever 21 whereby the rods 20 will be movedlongitudinally and the chains 19 carriedaround the peripheries of thewheels 18. Thus the shafts 17 may be rotated and the cultivator teeth 23(when the implement is equipped with them) projected into the soil orlifted above the same. The furrow openers 28 will be moved in a similarmanner. When the furrow o ners are operating in the soil, in the act ofplanting or irrigatmg, the levers 45 may be moved so that the valves 41are open against the tension of the springs 42. Thus water is permittedto flow from the tank 6 through the pipe sections 38 and 39'into thepipe section 37 past the valves 41 and through the flexible pipe 35thence section 37 into the fittings through pipe 34 and the passage 32to the ground. At the same time the lever 15 may be so swung as to causethe clutch mechanism 14 to transmit rota movement from the wheel 12 tothe'sha t 10 as above described. Oonsequently seed is assed from the hoper 9 through the fie 'Ele tubes 40 to the ttings 35 where it is taken upby the water and carried down throu h the pipes 34 and assages 32 in therrow olpeners 28 and 1s deposited in the soil below t e surface ofthesame. Thus both the water and the seed are deposited below the surfaceof the soil and in the same opening made by the furrow openers 28.Consequently the seed are embedded in the moist earth and inasmuch asthe moisture is below the surface it is protected against evaporation;As above stated the cultivator teeth 23 may be used upon the implementat planting time if desired. After the seed sprouts and the plants beginto grow the implement ma be used as a combined irrigator and cultivatorby attachin the cultivator standards and teeth and disconnecting theoper-- rovided with pending from the rear portion of the frame,

a shaft journaled for rotation in the brackets, cultlvator standardsfixed to the shaft, :1 plate fixed to the shaft, a furrow openeradjustably mounted upon said plate and having a passage leadingtherethrough,

means for rotating the shaft and a pipe connection between the tank andthe passage through the furrow opener.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN D. COPLEN.

\Vitnesses \VlLLIAM MILLER, C. E. DOYLE.

